Schools set date for Academy conversion

COUNCIL chiefs are about to approve legal arrangements for two Warrington high schools to convert to Academy status.
In each case, the council will grant a 125-year lease of land and buildings to the new Academy trusts for a nominal £1 a year.
Great Sankey High School and Lysander High School at Padgate will become Academy schools on January 1.
Warrington Borough Council was originally opposed to Academy Schools.
But earlier this year, the three party leaders signed a joint letter indicating that if any school in the borough felt it appropriate to convert, the council would continue to support them.
Lymm High School is already an Academy and Culcheth High School has indicated its desire to become one.
Cherry Tree Primary School at Lymm has also indicated it would like to convert and a number of other schools are thought to be thinking along similar lines.
Both Great Sankey and Lysander schools have leisure facilities which have in the past been for the joint use of the school and the public and it is expected this arrangement will continue.
But a report to the borough council’s executive board indicates that no formal agreement has yet been reached between the Great Sankey governing body and LiveWire, which runs the leisure centre.
At Lysander, the Academy will be sponsored by the University of Chester Academies Trust (UCAT) who will take on the 125-year lease.
UCAT will be responsible for ensuring the school continues to deliver education to young people in the area.
Jobs of teachers and other school staff will not be affected by the changes.
If the schools and the borough council had been unable to agree on the school conversions, the Government has the power to enforce an Academy conversion by statutory order.